Hamlet (Classic Stage Company)

Peter Sarsgaard stars in a Classic Stage Company production that explores one of William Shakespeare's most profound works. More…

"To be, or not to be? That is the question." Generation after generation of great actors have gone on to give their own unique and personal answer to Hamlet's most famous query. Actor Peter Sarsgaard reunites with director Austin Pendleton for a new contemporary take on this timeless classic.

"Classic Stage Company’s “Hamlet” might just be the definitive “Hamlet” for the twenty-first century. Staged with shimmering creativity, the iconic Shakespearian tragedy bristles with a contemporary edge firmly rooted in tradition...under Austin Pendleton’s transformative direction, it transcends Elizabethan revenge tragedy and with surgical precision cuts deeply into Hamlet’s ennui and his alienation from life. This is a “Hamlet” not to be missed."
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"Excellent new production...Clarity reigns in this simple and effective staging. This is by no means an action-packed "Hamlet." A general lethargy pervades, but it is never boring. In fact, we can't look away. This is a testament to Pendleton's surefooted vision of a house on the brink of demise.".
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"An atmosphere of fearlessness hangs over the new production of Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" at Classic Stage Company. Star Peter Sarsgaard and director Austin Pendleton take a naturalistic approach that proves a good fit for the relatively loose, sometimes almost improvisatory flavor of the play...I had to think about it for a while. I’ve decided it worked."
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"There is a new Hamlet in town, and Peter Sarsgaard has his back, giving this poetic youth of the ages a crisp, nuanced, and strikingly modern voice. This Hamlet is fresh faced...His iambic pentameter is a bit splayed out like a chicken born with legs akimbo, but it works, making Hamlet familiar, not so foreign, not so distant and entirely digestible...go see it, because of its very modern take and accessibility. And because Peter Sarsgaard's unique Hamlet is one you won't want to miss."
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"The concept behind this stylish-looking modern-dress production directed by Austin Pendleton essentially presents the action as a long dramatic hangover after the wedding celebrations for Claudius and Gertrude...Unfortunately, by the end of this respectable but sluggish production, which runs over three hours, you may feel as you do after attending one of those overblown weddings that seem to go on for days, and sometimes do. In other words, dazed and ready for bed."
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"The least you can say about Peter Sarsgaard’s performance as Shakespeare’s vengeful prince is that it’s fully committed — in every sense of the word. The Hamlet he portrays in Austin Pendleton’s modern-dress production isn’t so much melancholy as mentally unbalanced and likely delusional...he projects a fretful, anxious energy — Hamlet’s coke habit probably doesn’t help...But the show as a whole is less coherent than Sarsgaard’s interpretation, and deflates when he’s offstage."
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"Now, at last, a Hamlet for our own era: emoji Hamlet...Peter Sarsgaard’s dynamic, but ultimately wearying Dane never met a state of mind he couldn’t adopt and then abandon. His prince is sad and happy, sane and crazy...Everyone knows Hamlet by now, which is lucky, as it would be very difficult to parse if you didn’t come in with some sense of the plot...Even amid the swordfights and the poisonings and martial conquest, something was tiresome in the state of Denmark."
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"Something’s rotten in Denmark — and it’s the Classic Stage Company’s anemic and dour version of “Hamlet.”...The acting throughout is as pale and monochromatic as the white floral canopy hovering over guests...Polonius is overdressed and bored in a morning coat, as though he was expecting a snazzier affair. Audiences at “Hamlet” will relate."
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"The less said about this current production of Hamlet, the better...Sarsgaard, whether by his own purpose or pushed by the director, plays Hamlet as dim of wit and halting of speech. There’s no depth of feeling between him and Horatio, let alone his mom or Ophelia. It’s all so languorous and sloppy that by the time the stage is littered with bodies — silence, finally! — we can only welcome Fortinbras with a quick salute — and a quicker exit."
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